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Spindrift
06-06-2012, 10:39 AM
Since there are so many!

[As of 2012]


Thought it would be cool if people talked about their experiences with aquariums in Australia.
And other international countries: http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?2130-List-of-Aquaria-around-the-World
Heard of any cool projects these places are doing? Recommendations/Ratings? First-hand experiences? Jobs even, maybe? Merring opportunities?


Took this from the Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aquaria_in_Australia

Australian Capital Territory


National Zoo & Aquarium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Zoo_%26_Aquarium) - Canberra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canberra)
New South Wales


The Australian Shark and Ray Centre (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Australian_Shark_and_Ray_Centr e&action=edit&redlink=1) - Port Stephens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Stephens)
Merimbula Aquarium (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Merimbula_Aquarium&action=edit&redlink=1) - Merimbula (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merimbula,_New_South_Wales)
Oceanworld Manly (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Village_Roadshow_Theme_Parks_and_Attractions#Ocean world_Manly) - Manly (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly,_New_South_Wales)
Sydney Aquarium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Aquarium) - Sydney (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney)
Queensland


Aquasearch Aquarium (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aquasearch_Aquarium&action=edit&redlink=1) - Nelly Bay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelly_Bay,_Queensland), Magnetic Island (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_Island)
Neptune's Reef World (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Neptune's_Reef_World&action=edit&redlink=1) - Hervey Bay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hervey_Bay)
Reef HQ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reef_HQ) - Townsville (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townsville)
Sea World (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_World) - Gold Coast (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Coast,_Queensland)
Undersea World (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Undersea_World&action=edit&redlink=1) - Cairns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairns)
UnderWater World (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UnderWater_World,_Queensland) - Mooloolaba (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooloolaba,_Queensland)
South Australia


Kangaroo Island Penguin Centre (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kangaroo_Island_Penguin_Centre&action=edit&redlink=1) (formerly Kangaroo Island Marine Centre) - Kingscote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingscote,_South_Australia)
The Seahorse Farm (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Seahorse_Farm&action=edit&redlink=1) - Port Adelaide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Adelaide)
Tasmania


Bicheno Sealife Centre (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bicheno_Sealife_Centre&action=edit&redlink=1) - Bicheno (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicheno,_Tasmania)
Stanley Seaquarium (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stanley_Seaquarium&action=edit&redlink=1) - Stanley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley,_Tasmania)
Victoria


Melbourne Aquarium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_Aquarium) - Melbourne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne)
Western Australia


Aquarium of Western Australia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquarium_of_Western_Australia) - Perth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perth,_Western_Australia)
Ocean Park (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ocean_Park,_Denham&action=edit&redlink=1) - Denham (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denham,_Western_Australia), Shark Bay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_Bay,_Western_Australia)

Theobromine
07-19-2012, 03:32 AM
Ok well, since no one has replied to this yet, I'll be the first. I lived in Townsville, Queensland for three years, and volunteered at Reef HQ Aquarium for two of those years. I really enjoyed volunteering there as well as just wandering around as a visitor, and I thought the aquarium is pretty well run. They have a very well-developed volunteer program, that has a new-vol intake once a year with a six week training program to make sure everyone knows their shit. The entire organization is overseen by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA). The aquarium also has what is allegedly the largest living coral tank in the world, as well as a smaller "predator" tank with sharks and rays and other large fishes (though nothing larger or more fearsome than an tawny nurse shark named Cuddles). That tank also holds a small scale replica of the wreck of the Yongala, a nearby historical wreck that is not only an interesting bit of maritime history, it is also one of the top dive sites in Australia. There is also a mangrove exhibit (with a baby crocodile!!) and an Australian freshwater stream tank. Mixed in with all these tanks are educational displays and plenty of tour guides and volunteers to help you learn all about the animals, the reef, and issues of conservation. There is even a turtle hospital where rescued sea turtles are treated for release into the wild, which you can take a tour of. It's not a huge aquarium, but very well put together. The one thing that struck me as deficient was that there were only a few (three or four) full-time aquarists working there at any given time. Despite the plethora of part-timers and volunteers, this just didn't strike me as a sufficient level of staffing, although the quality of the exhibits never seemed to suffer for it. I guess everyone there is just really good at doing their jobs. Anyway...I thought it was a great aquarium and a worthy tourist destination. I'm pretty devastated I never got the chance to visit any other aquariums in Australia while I lived there (damn grad school!!).

Spindrift
07-19-2012, 07:27 AM
That is such a cool review! Thanks Theobromine. And are you still in Townsville? One of my best friends attends James Cook University for marine biology. I want to visit so badly lol.